Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Sunday refused to quit despite the Naga People’s Front losing its majority in the state Assembly after the elections, NDTV reported.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party contested the polls as allies, winning 30 of the 60 Assembly seats. The Janata Dal (United) and one independent MLA has also pledged support to the alliance. The NPF won 29 seats.
However, on Sunday, Zeliang said he would meet BJP National President Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss government formation in Nagaland. NPF Chairperson Shurhozolie Liezietsu has written to Shah, saying they were “still friends”.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had said on Saturday that the BJP could not form an alliance with the NPF due to disagreements over seat-sharing. However, he added that the two parties “share the same views on peace and development of the region”.
Nagaland Governor PB Acharya told reporters that he thought Zeliang would resign when the chief minister came to meet him earlier on Sunday.
Acharya said that NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio, who has claimed the support of 32 MLAs, should form the government as he has the majority, PTI reported. The governor added that he had asked Rio, who met him on Sunday, to submit signatures of all the 32 MLAs supporting him by Monday.
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